I REMEMBER: My dad's brother Ted (Edward W. H. Clifton) was a British Commando in WWII and his brother-in-law, George Elson, was in the RAF Ground Forces and Barrage Balloon barges on the Thames. My paternal grandfather, Edward Clifton, was apparently an Air Raid Warden, [all three former names of Surrey relevance] and my maternal grandfather, George Bradbury, was first a courier (on motor bike) till injured and then became a cook, serving the forces in Italy during WWII. I also have an "uncle" (really my mom's cousin by marriage I believe) who was in the Polish underground fighting the Nazi's; lost a leg, but saved his own and many lives I garner. Add to that all the other survivors, particularly the women who kept the home fires burning, who served and worked in ways they never imagined would be needed to preserve hearth and home and support their soldiers, whose love, prayers and hope never failed. And the children, who experienced fears and wonders they never invented or desired, who bore the scars of childish perception of horrible things, and who lived on to remind and raise the rest of us. Blessed be the memory of those who, whether through ignorance or wisdom, by choice or by force, ultimately gave of themselves so that others could have the hope of freedom and peace. "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Michael Clifton Canada

beautifully put Michael Pam from Adelaide Australia >I REMEMBER: > > My dad's brother Ted (Edward W. H. Clifton) was a British Commando in WWII > and his brother-in-law, George Elson, was in the RAF Ground Forces and > Barrage Balloon barges on the Thames. My paternal grandfather, Edward > Clifton, was apparently an Air Raid Warden, [all three former names of > Surrey relevance] and my maternal grandfather, George Bradbury, was first > a courier (on motor bike) till injured and then became a cook, serving the > forces in Italy during WWII. I also have an "uncle" (really my mom's > cousin by marriage I believe) who was in the Polish underground fighting > the Nazi's; lost a leg, but saved his own and many lives I garner. > > Add to that all the other survivors, particularly the women who kept the > home fires burning, who served and worked in ways they never imagined > would be needed to preserve hearth and home and support their soldiers, > whose love, prayers and hope never failed. And the children, who > experienced fears and wonders they never invented or desired, who bore the > scars of childish perception of horrible things, and who lived on to > remind and raise the rest of us. > > Blessed be the memory of those who, whether through ignorance or wisdom, > by choice or by force, ultimately gave of themselves so that others could > have the hope of freedom and peace. "Greater love hath no man than this, > that he lay down his life for his friends." > > > Michael Clifton > Canada